You’ve probably received the annoying “Something went wrong. If this issue persists please contact us through our help center at help.openai.com.” warning while trying to access ChatGPT. Here I’ll explain how to fix ChatGPT access issues. I’ve combined multiple solutions in order to ensure that you’ll find the right fix for the problem that you encounter.
ChatGPT has taken the internet by storm. Everybody talks about how amazing and useful it is. But, of course, there are quite many skeptics as well. They try to come up with counter-arguments to refute the claims of ChatGPT fans. Most of the ChatGPT issues pointed out by these skeptics have already been fixed as OpenAI develops their language model at a staggering phase. I won’t talk about these generic issues here. Here you’ll find fixes for ChatGPT access and login issues. It is time to remove the annoying “Something went wrong. If this issue persists please contact us through our help center at help.openai.com.” warning.
Before I dive deep into the ChatGPT access issues, let’s take a look at how to create a ChatGPT account. It is important to know how to create an account in the right way and on the correct platform. If you already have a verified account, you can skip to the ChatGPT access issues and solutions below.
Right Way of Creating a ChatGPT Account
When ChatGPT came out, a lot of people were asking how to create an account and what the login link is. ChatGPT is an OpenAI project. Therefore, the actual login address is https://chat.openai.com/auth/login. However, you can simply type ChatGPT.com on the browser address bar and you’ll be redirected to the relevant login page on OpenAI’s website.
Actually, there are other ways to access ChatGPT as well. For example, Opera and Opera GX browsers offer ChatGPT widget on the sidebar so that you can always access ChatGPT without having the need to head to the OpenAI website. There are other platforms that offer their version of the ChatGPT as well. For instance, Poe AI platform offers multiple AI chatbots including ChatGPT and GPT-4. You can find more about Poe AI in my article about fixing Poe AI “this bot is not available in your region” warning with VPN.
Before drifting away from our main topic, let’s get into the steps of creating a ChatGPT account:
Step 1: Setting the Stage
To kick things off, head over to the ChatGPT website. Once you’re on the homepage, take a moment to breathe in the digital air of possibilities—this is where your linguistic journey begins.
Step 2: Sign Up – The Prelude
In the top-right corner, you’ll spot a friendly “Sign Up” button. Click it, and brace yourself for the magic about to unfold. A form will gracefully appear, asking for your email address and a password. Choose a password that’s as strong as the bond you’ll soon develop with ChatGPT. Alternatively, you can use your Google, Microsoft or Apple account to skip filling the signup form.
Step 3: The Email Waltz
After you’ve inputted your email, check your inbox. A confirmation email from ChatGPT awaits you, like an electronic messenger announcing your imminent linguistic adventure. Click that confirmation button—it’s your ticket to the captivating world of language interaction.
Step 4: The Dance of Verification
Return to the ChatGPT page and log in. But wait, the dance isn’t over yet! You might be asked to complete a brief verification process to ensure you’re a genuine language lover and not a mischievous algorithm.
Step 5: The Dashboard Unveiling
Once verified, revel in the moment as the doors swing open, revealing your shiny new ChatGPT dashboard. Here, you’ll witness a sleek interface, exuding simplicity and potential. Take a moment to explore the features—become one with the dashboard.
Step 6: Choose Your Package
You can use GPT 3.5 completely free. You can use it on your desktop and mobile devices comfortably without any limits. Nonetheless, GPT 3.5 is a limited tool in itself or an older model, if I might say. There is a more developed model called GPT-4. It has a price tag of $20/month.
Step 7: The Lingo Configuration
Now, let’s configure your ChatGPT to speak your language—literally! Customize your settings, tweak the parameters, and make ChatGPT your linguistic ally.
Step 8: The Chat Commencement
With everything set up, embark on your first conversation with ChatGPT. Whether you’re seeking knowledge, brainstorming ideas, or just indulging in casual banter, your ChatGPT is ready to chat.
Step 9: The Learning Loop
Remember, the more you interact, the more ChatGPT learns about you. It’s a symbiotic relationship—a dance of words and understanding. Give feedback, refine your prompts, and witness the evolution of your virtual conversational companion.
List of Countries Where ChatGPT is Banned
Now you know how to create a ChatGPT account to automate tasks, summarize texts, write code, generate ideas and content, even write love letters on your behalf. That is a great tool, really. But, it may not be available where you reside. Italy banned ChatGPT in March 2023 due to data privacy concerns. There is a fear that countries like Germany, Ireland, and France might follow Italy’s footsteps in the matter.
ChatGPT is not available in the countries where there is strong censorship imposed on the internet such as China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia and Cuba. ChatGPT doesn’t really serve the ideologies of such governments. Imagine a tool which might refute the claims of a government!
There is a third category of countries where ChatGPT is restricted. OpenAI hasn’t launched its stellar product in countries like Afghanistan, Bhutan, Central African Republic, Chad, Eritrea, Eswatini, Libya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen due to lack of adequate infrastructure in these countries.
How to Access ChatGPT from Everywhere
One of the most common ChatGPT access issues is regional blocking. If you encounter an access issue due to regional restrictions, the best fix is using a VPN. Luckily we have reviewed plenty of budget VPNs. You can take a look at the reviews of the best budget VPNs to find the right one for yourself. There are even VPNs with a free trial in case you’d like to try premium VPNs before purchasing a long-term plan.
VPNs are low-cost security and privacy solutions which can help you tackle quite many problems that you may encounter in the digital realm. VPN services offer secure servers located in many different parts of the world. By connecting to such servers you place a secure wall between yourself and the apps and websites that you use. This way you make sure that neither your internet service provider sees your online activities nor the other platforms that you use can reveal your identity. Moreover, the VPN services listed on VPNbudget have no log policy. In other words, they don’t keep the record of your activities. You are as invisible as a ghost.
Using a VPN doesn’t only provide you with a safety bubble, you also enjoy the luxury of changing your IP location. This way you can unblock the websites and apps that are not available in your region. Moreover, you can also grab region-specific discounts connecting to a server located in the country where a discount is available.
Use VPN to Unblock GEO Restrictions
Consider yourself as Schrödinger’s cat who is both alive and dead at the same time. Well, that might be a morbid example. But you get what I am saying, don’t you? A VPN software carries your online presence to another part of the world in a second while you physically don’t move. So, you exist (in the online world) wherever you are, even in multiple places at the same time. You can easily connect to a server located in a country like the USA or the UK to access ChatGPT without any restrictions.
If you plan to access ChatGPT with a VPN, I recommend you to sign up for Surfhsark VPN. You can get it as cheap as $1.99/month. It has 3200 fast-speed secure servers in 65 countries. Moreover, Surfshark VPN software comes with such cool features as ad blocker, antivirus, kill switch and multi hop servers depending on the package you choose. Check out our in-depth Surfshark VPN review to learn more about the features offered by this popular VPN service. You don’t even need a credit card to purchase a premium Surfshark VPN subscription. Click here to get it with a special discount right away! If you don’t like it, you can ask for a full refund within 30 days.
Fixing “Something went wrong. If this issue persists please contact us through our help center at help.openai.com” Error
This is a warning a lot of people see lately while trying to access ChatGPT. I’ve done extensive research to find out what the underlying reasons are. Apparently, people tackle this issue in different ways. A solution which might work for somebody may not be the ideal one for you. So, I’ve compiled all the methods to fix ChatGPT access issues. Here is a list of fixes you can apply:
Use a VPN to Access ChatGPT
This is perhaps the most obvious and common solution for ChatGPT access issues. A premium VPN software like Surfshark VPN can clean third-party cookies, block malicious scripts, and help you avoid region-specific restrictions. Furthermore, you can use a premium VPN software for many different purposes from safe torrenting to uninterrupted gaming and accessing region-specific streaming libraries of platforms like Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max. It is a must-have tool in this era. Moreover, such a premium VPN doesn’t cost much either. You can own Surfshark VPN for as little as $1.99/month.
Clear Your Browser Cache
Clearing your browser cache is one of the first things you should do when you cannot access a website or an app. Alternatively, you can visit the Open AI website on an incognito window. But, in case you’d like to know how to clear your browser cache, here are the steps that you should follow:
Google Chrome:
- Click on those three dots in the top right corner (yeah, those dots are quite the helpers).
- Scroll down and hit “Settings.”
- Click on “Privacy and Security” in the left sidebar.
- Look for “Clear browsing data” and click on it.
- Tick the box next to “Cached images and files.”
- Decide how far back you want to clear (like clearing out the attic—only digital).
- Click “Clear data” and voila! Your Chrome cache is squeaky clean.
Mozilla Firefox:
- Click on the three horizontal lines (see, every browser loves its lines).
- Look for “Options” or “Preferences” in the menu.
- Select “Privacy & Security” from the left sidebar.
- Find “Cookies and Site Data” and click on “Clear Data.”
- Ensure “Cached Web Content” is checked.
- Click “Clear” and let Firefox do its thing.
Safari (Mac):
- Well, obviously!
- Click on “Safari” in the top menu bar and choose “Preferences.”
- Go to the “Advanced” tab.
- Check the box next to “Show Develop menu in menu bar” (almost there!).
- In the top menu bar, click on “Develop.”
- Caches: Finally, select “Empty Caches.”
Microsoft Edge:
- Open Edge – Yup, click on that big blue E icon.
- Tap on the three dots and select “Settings.”
- Click on “Privacy, search, and services” in the left sidebar.
- Under “Clear browsing data,” click on “Choose what to clear.”
- Ensure “Cached images and files” is checked.
- Click on “Clear now,” and you’re good to go.
Use a Different Browser
This may sound like an awkward suggestion, but it’s been reported that some users had difficulty in accessing ChatGPT in some browsers including Chrome. I couldn’t verify this problem as I didn’t encounter any issue while accessing ChatGPT on Chrome.
In case you face a ChatGPT access issue on Chrome, Opera or Edge (which are all Chromium-based browsers), you can install the User-Agent Switcher extension. Once you install the extension select Safari from the menu and hopefully you won’t see a warning like “Something went wrong. If this issue persists please contact us through our help center at help.openai.com.”
Switch Off Your Adblocker
Some users reported that disabling adblocker extension on their browser and VPN software fix the ChatGPT access issue for them. Most of us use ad blockers to get rid of annoying banners which render browsing a painful task. But, ad blockers don’t only block annoying ad scripts, they also block some critical functions of websites. So, if nothing works, you should try disabling your ad blocker on the Open AI website. This might solve your problem.
I’ve listed the most efficient fixes for ChatGPT access issues. If you know a different fix that I haven’t mentioned here, please let us know about it by commenting below. If you opt for using a VPN service option, check our VPN deals and coupons section to get extra discounts on VPN packages.
